Fence assembly



May 28, 1968 Q B DWYER 3,385,566

FENCE ASSEMBLY Filed Deo. 22, 1965 ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,385,566 FENCE ASSEMBLY Clarence B. Dwyer, 1931 S. Madison, Wichita, Kans. 67211 Filed Dec. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 515,789 2 Claims. (Cl. 256-19) ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a fence construction and, more particularly, to a concrete fence post adapted to be anchored in a ground surface for supporting laterally extended fence rails therebetween. Still more specifically, the invention relates to a fence post of extremly rigid and substantially on piece construction designed to be selfsupporting. In a more specic aspect, the present invention relates to a concrete fence post having laterally extended connector members embedded and supported within the concrete of the post. Additionally, this invention relates to a concrete fence post having a plurality of connector members thereon embedded within the concrete material and secured by upright reinforcing bars for lateral stability and increased strength.

Numerous types of fence assemblies are known to the prior art which require the use of a substantial number of elements and tools for construction and erection. The fence posts of the prior art devices normally require the use of special attachment structures or means for securing fence rails or wire between adjacent fenec posts. Additionally, the prior art fence assembles require the use of a plurality of tools, such as shovels, hammers, wire stretchers, etc. for erection which is normally a time consuming process.

In one preferred specific embodiment of the invention, a new fence post is provided for a fence assembly having a plurality of vertically spaced connector members secured to opposite sidewalls of the fence post. The fence post has an elongated main body of concrete material with the connector members embedded therein. The connector members have U-shaped portions extended laterally of the sidewalls which are adapted to vertically and laterally support a purality of rail members extended between adjacent fence posts. The main body of each fence post is of a substantial length so that the lower portion thereof can be anchored in a ground surface in a conventional manner with the vertically aligned rail members equally above the ground surface to present a rail fence assembly.

In a second preferred specific embodiment of the invention, the connector members secured to the fence posts are anchored in adjacent relationship whereupon a plurality of the rail members are extended between horizontally aligned ones of the connector members on adjacent fence posts. At last two vertical spacer members are extended between vertically adjacent ones of the rail members to form a woven fence assembly.

One object of this invention is to provide an improved fence assembly having new and novel fence posts.

Another object of this invention is to provide a fence post of elongated rigid concrete construction.

A further object of this invention is to provide a fence assembly having concrete fence posts that are readily ice assembled with elongated fence rails which can be readily disassembled for repair and for replacement.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an attachment means for connecting fence rails to concrete fence posts whereby the rails are rigidly connected against downward and lateral movement.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an improved woven fence assembly that is readily assembled and disassembled.

One other object of this invention is to provide a concrete fence post that is selectively adaptable for construction of either a rail fence or a Woven fence assembly.

Further objects, features and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational View of a concrete post of the rail fence assembly of this invention having a central portion broken away to better illustrate the rail connector members;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 2 2 of FIG. 1;

FiG. 3 is a fragmentary elevational View of the rail fence assembly of this invention anchored in a ground surface;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a second embodiment of a concrete fence post of a woven fence assembly of this invention showing a plurality of adjacent rail connector members with a portion broken away to better illustrate the connector members;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary elevational vien showing the woven fence assembly of this invention;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view talren along line 6-6 of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view taken along line '7--7 in FIG. 4.

The following is a discussion and description of preferred specific embodiments of the new fence posts and fence assemblies of the invention, such being made with reference to the drawings, whereupon the same reference numerals are used to indicate the same or similar parts and/or structure. It is to be understood that such discussion and description is not to unduly limit the scope of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to FlG. 3, a rail fence assembly of this invention is indicated generally at 12, and comprises a plurality of spaced concrete fence posts 14 supporting horizontally extended boards or rail members 16 between adjacent ones of the fence posts 14. The lower ends of the fence posts 14 are anchored in a supporting or ground surface 13 in a conventional manner. It is obvious that numerous fence posts 14 and rail members 16 would be used in order to enclose a desired area.

As shown in FIG. l, the concrete fence post 14 comprises an elongated body member 2t) of a concrete material supporting a plurality of spaced attachment members or connector means 22. The 'body member 2t) is of a substantially square shape in transverse cross section as shown in FIG. 2, having the outer corners chamfered substantially the entire length so as to remove the sharp corners therefrom to prevent injury to cattle and the like that might Contact the fence posts 14.

The connector means 22 are of a substantially rectangular box-shape having an open top and side portions. As shown in FIG. 2, the connector means 22 is of a Ushape in a transverse horizontal cross section having upright parallel leg members 24 interconnected by a base section 26. The lower ends of the parallel leg members 24 are joined by a bottom wall or section 28 which is also integral with the base section 26. Each bottom section 28 has a hole 27 located adjacent the base section 26 which is adapted to receive a reinforcing rod 29 of, for example, threeeighths inch diameter. The base sections 26 are completely embedded within the main body member to provide lateral stability to the connector member 22 and approximately half of the bottom wall 28 is also embedded within the main body 20 to provide vertical stability to the connector member 22. The four parallel rods 29 (FIG. 2) are of a length substantially equal to that of the posts 14 and are equally spaced and embedded in the main body member 20. A pair of opposed rods 29 are extended through the vertically aligned holes 27 in the connector means 22 to substantially add to the lateral stability thereof. lt is seen that substantially half of the parallel leg member 24 and the bottom wall 28 extend laterally outward of a corresponding sidewall 30 of the main body 20. The connector means 22 are embedded in opposite sidewalls 30 of the concrete posts 14 in vertical alignment and having corresponding spaced pairs thereof on opposite sidewalls 30 in substantially horizontal alignment for reasons to become obvious.

In construction of the rail fence assembly 12, the concrete fence posts 14 are axially spaced and vertically extended with the lower ends anchored within the ground surfaces 18 as shown in FIG. 3. The fence posts 14 are anchored so that the facing sidewalls 30 of adjacent fence posts 14 extend in parallel vertical planes. It is obvious that the overall length of the fence posts 14 may be varied to provide longer lower end portions for anchoring in the ground surface 18 and the upper end portions would be extended upwardly therefrom to form a fence of a desired height. The elongated rail members 16, which are of a rectangular shape in transverse cross section such as a standard one by four or six piece of lumber, are extended between facing horizontally aligned pairs of connector means 22 with the opposite ends of the rail member 16 vertically supported on the -bottom walls 28 of the connector means 22. Lateral movement of the rail members 16 therefrom is restricted by the parallel upright leg members 24. It is seen that the connector means 22 are sufficiently vertically spaced from adjacent ones to permit vertical movement of the rail members 16 to a position above their corresponding connector means 22 whereby the rail members 16 can be moved laterally for removal and replacement.

It is obvious that the number and location of the connector means 22 on the fence posts 14 can be varied to present modified forms of the standard three rail fence assembly 12 illustrated in FIG. 3. Additionally, it would be obvious to secure the connector means 22 on adjacent sidewalls of the main -body 20 (positioned 90 degrees to each other) whereby this modification would be used as a corner post.

In another embodiment 0f this invention, the rail members 16 are used with vertical spacer members 32 and modified fence posts 14a to form :a woven fence assembly 34, as shown in FIG. 5. Each fence post 14a consists of a concrete body member 20a having a plurality of the connector means 22 secured to the opposite sidewalls 30 as previously described except they are positioned in adjacent relationship. It is seen, therefore, that the leg members 24 and the bottom wall 28 of one connector means 22. cooperate with a `bottom wall 28 of an upper adjacent connector means 22 to form a box-like opening adapted to receive one end of a rail member 16 (FIG. 7).

In the use and construction of the woven fence assembly 34, the fence posts 14a are anchored in the ground surface 18 with a rail member 16 extended between horizontally aligned facing connector means 22 on adjacent fence posts 14a. Opposite ends of the rail members 16 are supported within the connector means 22 with vlateral and vertical movement therefrom restricted 'by the leg members 24 and the bottom walls 28 as previously described. The spacer members 32 are inserted between vertically adjacent ones of the rail member 16 with the upper and lower ends of the spacer member 32 extended above and below, respectively, of the rail members 16. It is seen that the spacer' members 32 maintain the rail members 16 in a curved shape to present a woven appearance as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The adjacent relationship of the connector means 22 allows the rail members 16 to be next to each other so ras to present a substantially continuous board fence for the purpose of privacy and retaining children and animals in a closed area. It is obvious that the rail members 16 used in the construction of the woven fence assembly 34 must 'be of a flexible nature and of a length somewhat greater than the distance between adjacent fence posts 14a whereby the opposite ends of the rail members 16 are inserted into the box-'like opening formed by the connector means 22 to achieve the woven rail structure.

Additionally, it is obvious that the fence posts 14a can be used with a plurality of rail members 16 without the spacer members 32 to form a continuous shield-type rail fence assembly.

As will be apparent from the foregoing description of the preferred embodiments of the applicants fence assemblies, relative simple and inexpensive connector means have been provided which provide for easy assembly of the different types of fence assemblies. Applicants novel fence post eliminates a great deal of time consuming and tedious work involved in the construction and erection of the conventional fence assemblies.

While the invention has been described in connection with preferred specific embodiments thereof, it will be understood that this description is intended to illustrate and not to limit the scope of the invention, which is defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A fence assembly comprising:

(a) a plurality of spaced vertically extended fence posts of concrete material each having vertically spaced rail connectors secured to opposite sidewalls thereof,

(b) said rail connectors having parallel upright legs interconnected at lower ends thereof by a bottom wall,

(c) a rail member extended between each pair of horizontally aligned facing rail connectors secured to adjacent fence posts,

(d) opposite ends of said rail members mounted within said pairs of rail connectors whereby said rail connectors are secured against Idownward and lateral movement by said rail connectors and can be readily removed upwardly for repair and replacement,

(e) portions of said legs and said bottom wall embedded within said sidewalls to readily anchor said rail connectors,

(f) said rail connectors having an upright 'base section secured to said upright legs in said bottom wall and embedded within said concrete posts for increased lateral stability, and

(g) a plurality of spaced vertically extending reinforcing rods embedded within said concrete posts, and said bottom walls of said rail connectors having aligned openings adjacent each respective ones of said sidewalls receiving said rods therein providing increased rigidity.

2. A concrete fence post, comprising:

(a) fan elongated body member of concrete material having a pair of parallel sidewalls,

3,385,566 5 6 (b) connector members having parallel leg sections References Cited interconnected by a bottom section, said `leg sections UNITED STATES PATENTS and `bottom sections having a portion 'thereof eX- 358,461 3/1887 Lee 256 65 tending laterally outward of corresponding ones of 590,100 9/ 1897 Grant 256-66 said sidewalls and :another portion of said leg sec- 5 716 89S 12/1902 Hutchings 256 66 lOIlS and Said bOOm SeCtlOllS embedded Within Said 841:777 Hamilton X COHCfefedjbOdY member, and 2,718,382 9/1955 Bird 25e-65 X (c) a plurality of spaced longitudinally extendlng rein- 3,122,355 2/1954 Richardson 256 21 X forcing rods embedded within said concrete post, and said :bottom sections of said connector member 10 FOREIGN PTENTS porti-on embedded Within said concrete body member 1271549 4/1948 Austraha having apertures adjacent each respective one of said sidewalls receiving said rods therein providing in- DAVID J' WILLIAMOWSKY Pnmmy Exammer' creased rigidity, DENNIS L. TAYLOR, Examiner. 

